The Reformation in Zurich

was when Huldrych Zwingli started to reform Zurich with his sermons in the Grossmünster.

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churches played a key role during the Reformation: the Grossmünster, Fraumünster, Predigerkirche, Wasserkirche and St. Peter’s.

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scenes on the Zwingli Door of the Grossmünster depict the history of the Reformation.

In Zurich, numerous references and memorial sites bear witness to the Reformation – such as the most important churches, statues or places where the Reformers lived or preached. A guided tour through the historical Old Town is an absolute must for anyone interested in the subject.

In the War of Kappel, the Protestants from Zurich entered into a religious war with the Catholics in Central Switzerland. While the leaders negotiated, the soldiers from both camps fraternized with each other: men from Zug provided milk and those from Zurich bread, and together they made a milk soup, thus putting their dispute aside.

Fraumünster

Zwingli’s reformation was ardently supported by the Fraumünster abbess, Katharina von Zimmern. In order to avoid unrest and war, she selflessly handed over the Catholic Fraumünster and the abbey’s entire property and wealth to the City of Zurich.

Grossmünster

Huldrych Zwingli was appointed pastor of the Grossmünster in 1519. From here, he preached his reformatory theses, and succeeded in establishing the Reformation in Zurich and far beyond.

St. Peter's

St. Peter’s was the first reformed church to be built in the city of Zurich. However, another church had previously stood on this site, in which Leo Jud – a close confidante of Zwingli ‒ is reputed to have delivered fascinating sermons.

Wasserkirche

During the Reformation, the Wasserkirche suffered a sad fate. As the site where the city’s saints Felix and Regula had been executed, it was regarded as a place of idolatry. It was secularized and later used as a warehouse.

Huldrych Zwingli reformed Zurich by banning images and organ music from the church in order to focus solely on the Word of God. However, he was not just a devout man, but tolerant and socially minded, too, and also revolutionized schooling, marriage and social welfare.

Besides a small chapel (depicted), the Helferei building accommodated Huldrych Zwingli’s study, which has been left in its original state to this day.

Eat Like 500 Years Ago

The Restaurant Rechberg 1837 offers menus prepared according to ancient recipes, almost like back in Zwingli’s day.

Christian Bärtsch is a revolutionary like Zwingli before him: with his Essento project, he develops products made from edible insects. With this idea, the young scientist aims to change the Swiss people’s eating behavior in a lasting way.

Christian Bärtsch

He believes that his products made from edible insects will be the new potatoes. Christian Bärtsch is – as far as the Swiss people’s eating behavior is concerned – what Zwingli once was for religion: a revolutionary.

ETH professor Reto Knutti is an unconventional thinker like Zwingli before him: with his work, the climate researcher actively encourages people to change their ways. That is why for him, the message behind the data is just as important as the data itself.

Reto Knutti

With his work, climate researcher Reto Knutti actively encourages people to change their ways. His goal is to solve the problem of global warming and not simply leave it to the next generation.

During the legendary sausage supper at the house of the printer, Christoph Froschauer (in the picture, the Froschauer Fountain), the people demonstrated against not being permitted to eat meat on Fridays during Lent. What made the situation particularly controversial was the fact that Zwingli was also present.

The poor and needy were served broth from a large pot in front of the Predigerkirche. This was due to Zwingli’s alms-giving decree, an early form of social welfare.

The Anabaptists

The dark side of the Reformation: Zurich’s Anabaptists were originally followers of Zwingli, but soon they began to demand more radical reforms and caused political unrest. They were punished with penances, prison and death.

The Martyr

Felix Manz was sentenced to death by drowning in 1527. It was the first Anabaptist execution and caused many Anabaptists to flee, some as far away as America.

The Anabaptist Cave

Anabaptists who were threatened with death by the government hid in this cave near Bäretswil, in the Zurich Oberland.

Over a period of three years, Zurich is celebrating the Reformation with a multi-faceted festival, which focuses on the perceptible impact of the Reformation and how it has shaped society in modern-day Zurich.